Month: December 2025

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ctznshp “Holiday Lights” (2013/2025)

A dreamy photo of a water tower on top of a building

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Montreal post-rock band ctznship have just released a record of rare tracks titled Lost Loves (A Collection of Rarities). A mix of studio tracks, live recordings, demos and such, there are two songs on here of note to a dealer of Christmas tunes, “Holiday Lights” and “The New Year.” They may have been released yeaaars ago, as “Holiday Lights” was a b-side from their first record in 2013, which has since been extended to include “Holiday Lights.” Thus, I’m conflicted. I equally love discovering songs I missed, as well as hate that the song snuck by me for so long.

Christmas A Gogo and I have both been talking a big game about this whole shoegaze/dreampop Christmas genre that has exploded, and we may have found a (nearly) patient zero with “Holiday Lights.” Reading about the band, and this specific era of the band, they suggest that they were influence by Robyn, The Knife or Röyksopp as much as any rock band at this time. I hear that wall of sound and am left with… “really?” I certainly need to listen to the non-holiday material, but I’m on a time-crunch here. This song f*ing rocks though.

As for “The New Year,” we’ll see how burned out I am after Christmas as to whether I write about that one. But it’s pretty good too.

Bottom Line: Some more wonderful shoegaze Christmas for those of us who partake.

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Besphrenz “for christmas” (2025)

red background, green writing: the text "for christmas" makes the shape of a christmas tree

Late Work Records
Buy: Bandcamp | Apple Music | Amazon MP3

Philly’s Besphrenz have knocked out one of the most upbeat and fun “bring my baby back for Christmas” songs of recent memory with the stellar “for christmas.” This is the perfect gift of indie rock Christmas fun. It has me thinking of those stellar Crocodiles Christmas songs of the past – which is high praise in my book. This is their first Christmas song – go buy it so they make another.

Bottom Line: Stone-cold mixworthy

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Aux Caroling – December/Headphones (2025)

An impressionist painting of the sky with a moon in it.

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

Aux Caroling, the recording project of North Carolina’s Scott Deaver, is always singing about something he’s not singing about. From the amazing “Bulls vs. Lakers, Christmas 2011,” which framed complex familial relationships and the uncertainty of fate within the guise of talking about a basketball game on TV, to his most recent, and equally gorgeous, December/Headphones.

The first track, the A-side for those who wish to imagine this is a beautiful 7-inch record you are about to drop a needle to, was initially titled “A Long December to Remember Sales Event.” Just seeing that title made me kinda snort and smile. Now off he goes, singing about striking a luxury automotive deal. Then he slips into the chorus, which will subtly change through the song.

“Everything happens at once / that’s how you know it happened / nothing really feels that long / till your memories…”

Just gorgeous. But he dips back into those lines that are about “buying a car:”

“And it’s been a rough year / I think it’s safe to say / have not had one minute / to choose between nebula and cloudburst gray.”

There I go again with a snort, of sorts.

Scott excels in a kind of cheeky depth. He makes jokes that make it feel safe to contemplate your inner feelings of helplessness or inadequacy, or explore your family dynamic, or deal with the unknown.

The B-side is “Headphones,” a track that Scott initially intended to premiere on Jon Solomon’s 2024 25-Hour Holiday Marathon, and to never be played again. He meant for it to be heard in that one moment in time, and that was all. Thankfully, he’s reconsidered. This is simply a beautiful, touching love song. I don’t sense any subtext here; there is just a profound grateful love that the luckiest of us can relate to, in one way or another. “Found out I love you a lot / don’t think it will ever stop / don’t think it will ever stop / don’t think it will ever stop…………”

There are some bands that I like to celebrate here whose unique voice is unmistakable, and I count Aux Caroling among these. He has my ear, from now until he starts inevitably doing those stream-of-consciousness Mark Kozelek-type records. Then, I’m out.

(I couldn’t get too mushy there… Scott would have thrown in a line to take the edge off, and that was my feeble attempt to do the same.)

Bottom Line: Aux Caroling is essential Christmas listening.

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Bleu Rheine Presente La Compil’ de Noël #5

A black cover, with Compil de Noel #5 written in hot pink

Bleu Rheine
Buy: Bandcamp

I worked nearly two days in one day today, and today/tomorrow is likely the biggest release day of the year for Christmas bloggers. I’m going to do my best to feature my favorites, maybe even throw in a new find or two.

Bleu Rheine are back, making magic happen as usual. Those who can count (humble brag) have noticed that Bleu Rheine Presente La Compil’ de Noël #5 is indeed their fifth wonderful compilation of covers. Not all the songs will be Christmas songs, but let’s get busy with those Christmas tunes!

First out of the gate is Vivienne, who provides us with the obligatory “Last Christmas” cover. It’s quite a challenge to tackle a song that everyone covers, and Vivienne does it well. Her voice is lovely, and the instrumentation has me thinking this could be considered for an elusive “Dream Pop” or perhaps “Sad Girl” Christmas mix. Depending on how many covers of this you have heard so far, this may just be the version you’ve been looking for.

Now… the next track… Paris’ Princesse Gilbert busted out a cover of Pedro the Lion’s “Yellow Bike!” I mean… I admit to being a fan of “Last Christmas,” despite the overwhelming number of covers, but would I rather have choices like this? Absolutely. Princesse Gilbert does a great job, stripping back the sound and chilling it out. Truly a wonderful surprise, and a feeling I’m going to cling to for the rest of this season. Give me more choices like this.

The Smiruldes, whom I cannot seem to find any info on, provide a lovely cover of Les Classels’ “Le Sentier de neige.” If you recall, I’ve already written about Klô Pelgag’s beautiful version, and this one shares some similar DNA. They are both quiet, thoughtful, and beautiful, though The Smiruldes play their guitar, and Klô Pelgag her piano. Either way you go, you can’t go wrong – this is gorgeous.

I’m going to talk about the Diane track, though it isn’t necessarily a Christmas song… it is really more like a Jesus song – hence the title “Jésus Christ.” It is one of the more delightful songs about Jesus I’ve heard, as it is incredibly short (bonus) and finishes with the repeated line – translated to English for you: “I wonder if Jesus was funny.” This’ll sneak onto a mix or two, I’m sure.

Sure seems folks are trying to make Elliott Smith’s “Angel in the Snow” a modern indie Christmas staple, kind of like the Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal” or something of the sort. Of note, the Fleet Foxes also covered “Angel in the Snow” this year for the Oh. What. Fun. soundtrack. But I digress… Neon Bay really put their mark on this one. It really doesn’t feel like the Elliott Smith song, which I give them credit for. They roughed it up, and I liked that a whole lot. And the stripped back ending.. phenomenal.

Yet again, Bleu Rheine delivers us some fantastic French indie Christmas covers, and as long as they are putting in the effort to put these records out, I’ll be here for them. Even when I’m quite tired, they help me find the spirit.

Bottom Line: There may only be a few Christmas tunes, but I’ll bet you’ll like the normal covers too. Let’s support Bleu Rheine and keep these coming! And hey – it benefits Association MaMaMa, which helps single and isolated mothers!

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Kristian Noel Pedersen – Bullshit & Gift Wrapping (2025)

A photo of a christmas tree, and a man sitting in a chair looking at the light up tree.

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

I recently listened to a podcast featuring indie-Christmas legend Kristian Noel Pedersen (KNP), the always wonderful 12 Songs of Christmas hosted by Alex Rawls. It was a great conversation and a peek behind the curtain of our most prolific Christmas-creative. KNP has released sixteen albums of original Christmas music, and after his most recent trio of beautiful, hilarious, and genuinely touching records centered on the fictional, aging pop star Saul McCartney, I was under the impression he was planning to strip things back a bit. Sometimes plans change, though, because we’ve got a mini-album of six new songs (plus some voicemail interstitials), and if the first two tracks are a taste of what’s coming… consider me hungry.

The record opens with “Bullshit & Gift Wrapping,” which might be the best title for a Christmas song I’ve heard in ages. The track is packed with bitterness, profanity, jangling guitars, and—strangely, but in the best possible way—a Gin Blossoms vibe? I don’t know what I ate for dinner, but that’s the only comparison my brain wants to make right now. And I low-key love the Gin Blossoms, so I’m here for it.

KNP has also previewed the second track, “Christmas on Your Own,” where the guitars get fuzzier but the attitude—and profanity—stick around. He paints these small scenes across a few Christmases, following someone leaving a bad relationship and starting over. The song feels frayed at the edges, from the loose feel in the instrumentation to the lo-fi (well, lower-fi) vocals, and that roughness fits the emotional journey perfectly.

While we only have two tracks so far, any longtime reader will immediately clock track six: “Winter,” featuring vocals by Winterval, another prolific and supremely talented songwriter I’ve featured here many times. I absolutely cannot wait to hear that one.

The rest of the record drops on Friday, December 5th, along with probably every other major indie release of the season. Why? Bandcamp Friday—when Bandcamp doesn’t take a cut and the artists get every dollar (minus credit-card fees, I imagine). So add this one to your cart now… and wait until Friday to check out!

Bottom Line: Two songs in, and I’m singing the same songs of praise for the latest Kristian Noel Petersen joint.

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Home Counties “Better Last Year (Home Counties for Christmas)” (2025)

a group of people sitting at what appears to be a table at a pub, wearing santa hats and throwing their arms around each others' shoulders.

Submarine Cat Records
Buy: Juno Download (WAV/FLAC/AIFF/MP3) | Apple Music | Amazon.uk MP3

Well. Of course, I’m not the first to post about this, but at the very least I didn’t learn about this song from NME, and found it the old-fashioned way – I follow Home Counties on Soundcloud! But I’ll at the very least benefit from the background on the song provided. Turns out “Better Last Year (Home Counties for Christmas)” debuted at their gig at Scala last night, and is slowly becoming available on digital platforms today. Hopefully it’ll find its way to Bandcamp… we’ll see.

Enough about how and where to find the song – what is this song about?? Well, I again refer to that darn NME article, as they obviously got a ton of background, and I’m not going to be better about explaining this song than the band will. Quote below:

“Inspired by the dual voices and anti-Christmas sentiments of ‘Fairytale’, the song is split between two narratives voiced by Will [Harrison] and Lois [Kelly],” the band said. “Lois sings about bumping into people you went to school with who have since done terrible things (a common theme from our school). Will sings specifically about Christmas Eve itself, with a feeling that with every year it gets a bit shitter, and everyone a bit less joyous.”

“Together, they shape a story of growing older and how you feel it at this time of year,” they added. “It’s also a plea for everyone to try and regain some of their lost ‘Christmas spirit’, in a slightly problematic boozy call to arms.”

Well, I barely actually wrote anything about a song I actually quite like. I wonder what I would have said had I not found that NME article that kinda ruined my momentum…

Bottom Line: This is certainly going to make some mixes… maybe even mine!

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Exnovios “Noche de reyes” (2018)

A piece of paper-cut artwork, with pieces of paper cut out to create a winter scene with a road, snow and small strings of flags crisscrossing the road.

Ground Control
Buy: Bandcamp (NYOP)

I think… I THINK… this is the final Exnovios Christmas song out there. Frankly, a part of me is writing this post just so that I can be proven wrong and be alerted to yet another song from this wonderful band. “Noche de reyes” means “Twelfth Night,” or “Three Kings’ Night,” which is traditionally the night that kids receive presents in Spain. Exnovious tagged this track as “pop-psychedelia-reverb core” on Bandcamp, and I heartily cosign that description. This song is dreamy and synthy, as it gently rocks back and forth… as if coaxing the kids to sleep. Then, as the music and voices rise, so do the kids to find presents in the hall. Yet another beautiful tune from Exnovios, to which I’d be remiss not to mention the involvement of their wonderful partner-in-crime, Oihana Herrara from Melenas on keyboard, because those keys are a massive part of the groove here.

Bottom Line: Now the question is, how many Exnovios songs can one have on a Christmas mix?

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Wold Wiggen “Gaver er det meste med jula synes jeg” (2025)

Two guys, one sitting at the piano playing, the other with his hands on the man playing piano's shoulders, head back, eyes closed, singing a song.

Jansen Records
Buy: Bandcamp

It’s been a while since I’ve had a track sung in Norwegian on my mix, but this wonderful song by the Oslo duo Wold Wiggen may very well sneak its way on there. “Gaver er det meste med jula synes jeg,” or “Gifts are the most important thing about Christmas, I think,” tells the story of someone stealing all the presents from under the tree and hiding them away. It begins nicely enough—full stomachs, everyone cozy and warm while it snows outside. But Uncle Erling is a bit drunk, and something snaps. If the gifts are the best part of Christmas… well, let’s open them and take them all.

The orchestration is simple, driven largely by gentle guitar and bass, which—at least for a non-Norwegian speaker like myself—was the hook that initially reeled me in. There’s no chorus, just a beautiful brass melody line in its place. I’m a bit dense sometimes when it comes to identifying instruments—French horn? Whatever it is, it’s gorgeous, and it’s the flavor that makes this song so delicious.

Bottom Line: Norway is running up the score today. 2-for-2 with mixworthy songs. Amazing.

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King Hüsky “December95” (2025)

A cartoon of a man sitting on a circular carpet listening to music.

Hype City Music
Buy: Bandcamp

I honestly had no idea what to expect from “December95” by King Hüsky. You find yourself on his Bandcamp page, and the bio cuts off after “guitarist of the critically acclaimed Norwegian heavy metal band Kvelertak,” so needless to say, I was anticipating something quite different than what I encountered. The song I heard was wonderful, and is by no means the Norwegian metal that I anticipated; I am not into metal – read my submissions page. This song happened to be aimed dead between my eyes. A kill shot.

King Hüsky is the solo work of Vidar Landa, who, besides being a guitarist in a metal band, is also in indie rock/power pop band Beachheads. “December95” sets a beautiful, snowy scene, snug in their home. While the Christmas lights and the VCR don’t work, the scene, the lyrics, and the melody are all uplifting in a way that I was truly touched by. I remain amazed. What an unexpected and extraordinary song.

Bottom Line: Stone-cold mixworthy.

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The Photocopies – A C26 for Christmas (2025)

Self Released
Buy: Bandcamp

If indiepop is a genre that you are down with, read on. Frankly, if this website serves any purpose, it is for me to establish some indiepop credibility when I can’t play an instrument. Yeah, maybe I’ll share a few other songs too, but I have some twee punks to impress. Of note, I have often thought about how indiepop and punk are two sides of the same coin – DIY outsiders making cheap records for their devoted communities. But I digress, Michigan’s The Photocopies have done us a huge flippin’ favor and gathered up all his Christmas songs onto one easy compilation, A C26 for Christmas. We no longer have to search every single record (because often there was one) to grab that Christmas single for your indiepop radio show or mix. Sometimes being so prolific is a double-edged sword – you are always making great Christmas songs, but you’re also always making great Christmas songs. It becomes expected. Thus, it was a nice reminder to see all these great songs together, and it brought me back to 2021, when I first found the wonderful Photocopies.

I was so young then. We all were.

Bottom Line: Are you finding the Photocopies for the first time? Lucky you!

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